


31 Days of Ficmas 2019

by goingtothetardis



Series: 31 Days of Ficmas [3]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: 31 Days of Ficmas, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Bad Pick-Up Lines, Charity Event, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, Christmas Tree, Dressing as an elf, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Holiday Mishaps, Honestly this is just a giant pile of fluff and zero angst and cavity giving nonsense, Inappropriate Humor, Kissing, Mickey Smith/Martha Jones - Freeform, Minor Injuries, Mother-Daughter Relationship, POV Alternating, Reference to 'Song for Ten' by Murray Gold, The Doctor gets jealous over a cat, The Doctor's hair, The irritable 'mother-in-law', Unresolved Sexual Tension, christmas gifts, phone conversation, references to drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:08:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 13,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21639346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goingtothetardis/pseuds/goingtothetardis
Summary: 31 (or something like that) Days of Ficmas with James Noble and Rose Tyler: New neighbors James and Rose get to know each other during the holiday season. Typical hijinks ensue.
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Series: 31 Days of Ficmas [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1200817
Comments: 418
Kudos: 144
Collections: 31 Days of Ficmas 2019





	1. Workshop

**Author's Note:**

> I went back and forth about whether or not I was going to participate with 31 Days of Ficmas this year. The last few years I stuck to a pretty strict 100 word a day plan for each word. This year, however, the muse is being a cranky beast, and I decided to just see what happens. There may or may not be a post each day, and there's a high chance I'll be changing up some of the assigned words. 
> 
> This year I decided to go with a Ten/Rose Neighbor AU scenario. The idea kept niggling at me, and I couldn't let it go. I hope you enjoy what I come up with! :D As of now, the story probably won't be in a chronological order of events, but it'll be a handful of moments during the holiday season. 
> 
> Unbeta'd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I rewrote this chapter 3-4 times. I was still striving for 100 words at the time, which I achieved. Enjoy it while it lasts, lol.

Rose lingers in the doorway after meeting her new neighbor, a fit but somewhat eccentric bloke named James Noble. She’d asked, unsuccessfully, if he’d seen her cat, an orange tabby cat named Crookshanks. 

“What were you doing, then?” she asks, referring to the bangs and crashes she’d heard upon knocking. 

“I was in my workshop building a prop for my cousin’s charity event at the children’s hospital!” James exclaims. 

“You have a workshop in your flat?” 

“What, you don’t?” His forehead wrinkles in confusion. 

Rose laughs. “Nope, just a loo, kitchen, and bedroom. A normal flat.”

James grimaces. “How boring.”


	2. Wreath & Tinsel: Part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm already straying from the word order on the list. OH noes. 
> 
> This is Part 1 of a mini story line. Part 2 is tomorrow.

A few days after meeting her new (and slightly rude) neighbor, Rose arrives home from a long day of work to find James attempting to hang a wreath on his door. 

“That’s festive,” she says, grinning when James jumps in surprise and turns to face her. Her jaw drops open. James, already dead sexy in his pinstripe suit and Chuck Taylors, is wearing eyeglasses that make him look… She swallows, forcing herself not to drool on the floor. The bloke is  _ exactly  _ her type. Shaking her head, she tries to recover. “James, yeah?”

James, who’s clearly noticed her prolonged stare, holds a hammer in one hand and tugs awkwardly on his ear with the other. “Um, yeah. Rose, right?”

She nods and shifts her gaze to the wreath. 

“Oh, right!” James jumps to attention with an intensity that leaves her almost dizzy. “My cousin Donna gave me the wreath. ‘Even Martians need to show some Christmas cheer,’ she said. I don’t know how many times I have to tell her,  _ I’m not from Mars!" _ He stops abruptly when Rose laughs out loud.

“This cousin of yours...” Rose says.

“She’s a bloody nuisance,” James growls in clear annoyance, then curses loudly and sticks his fingers in his mouth. In his distraction, he’d hit his fingers with the hammer instead of the nail. 

“Oh my God, are you all right?” Rose asks, dumping her shopping at her door and running to James. 

“Oh, I’ll be fine. Just a bruised ego, that’s all.” James picks up the hammer and nail and successfully drives the nail into the door. 

“Well, maybe some other time you can show me how impressive you are,” Rose days with a smirk, before blushing, realizing too late the words she’d just spoken. 

James looks at Rose with an amused twinkle in his eyes and opens his mouth to speak, but she interrupts with a flustered desire to change the subject. “I have an ice pack in my flat, if you want some ice for your fingers.”

James smiles, an endearing lopsided thing, and Rose curses the warmth blooming in her belly at the sight. “Hang on, let me hang this up,” he says, and hangs the wreath on the door with a satisfied nod of his head. 


	3. Wreath & Tinsel: Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you know, you KNOW. 
> 
> (Part 2 of a mini story. See previous chapter for part one.)

Once James is sitting comfortably at her table with an ice pack, Rose pulls fairy lights and tinsel out of her shopping bag and places them on the table. 

“Be careful with tinsel,” James warns, reaching forward to run a long finger down the smooth strands.

It takes a moment for Rose, distracted by the gesture, to return her attention to James. “Tinsel? What’s wrong with tinsel?”

James meets Rose’s gaze with a lazy grin before looking down at Crookshanks. “Donna had a cat once who decided to eat tinsel from the tree. There was a bit of a catastrophe during the, er, elimination process.” 

Rose’s eyes widen in shock.  _ “Oh.” _


	4. Tree & Hot Chocolate: Part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are all having a great day! This week is kicking my behind, and I'm TIRED.
> 
> Enjoy!!

Rose grunts, sweat trickling down her back as she pulls her bundled Christmas tree up yet another flight of stairs. It’s her very first tree, real or otherwise, in her first flat, and she’s determined to not ask anyone for help. 

The only problem is… The tree is _slightly_ bigger than she’d thought – _had it grown in transit?_ – and she still has two flights to go. Maybe turning it around…? 

Wrapping her arms around the widest part of the tree, Rose heaves it up another flight of stairs. With a determined growl, she turns the corner for the final steps, and–

“Aaaggghh!”

Rose yelps and drops the tree, revealing her neighbor clutching his eye. 

“Oh, shit! I’m so sorry!” She pushes past the tree and rushes up the stairs to inspect James’s face. 

He rapidly blinks his eyes, one of which looks slightly red around the edges. “Oh, it’s _you!_ I was wondering why a Christmas tree was walking up the stairs.”

Rose stares, nonplussed. “I...um… Can I get you that ice pack again? Some frozen peas? It’s the least I can do. I hope this isn’t a habit of yours, you needing to come to mine to ice another injury. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Oh, I’ll be good as new in no time, Rose! Never been attacked by a Christmas tree, though.” He shrugs, prodding his eye. “First time for everything, I suppose.”


	5. Tree & Hot Chocolate: Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ENJOY! :D

While James holds a bag of frozen peas against his eye, Rose pulls out the ingredients for hot chocolate. The  _ good _ kind, mind, with milk and the gourmet chocolate she saves for special occasions. 

“Fancy a hot chocolate?” she asks her maimed guest.

When James’s good eye brightens with interest, she plucks two mugs from the cabinet and grabs the spray whipped cream from the fridge. 

They banter back and forth while Rose makes the drinks, and she finds herself growing more and more fond of her neighbor with each passing minute. (And not  _ only _ because of his sexy specs and distracting looks.)

When James puts down the peas and pulls his glasses out of his pocket, putting them on to look at the newspaper on her counter, Rose blushes just looking at him.  _ Blimey. _ She’s got it  _ bad.  _ It’s a good think her friend Jack isn’t here, because he’d definitely take advantage of her little crush and do whatever he could to play matchmaker. 

To distract herself, Rose takes a large gulp of her still scalding hot chocolate. “Ahhhhhhh!” she splutters, dribbling the hot chocolate out of her mouth and back into the mug. Out of the corner of her eye, she distantly sees her neighbor jump up and grab something from the counter.

“Open your mouth!” James demands, and Rose follows his orders without thinking, eyes watering from the pain. 

Without warning, a cloud of something light but dense fills her mouth. 

In shock, she coughs, spraying the substance all over James and the counter.  _ “Bloody hell, _ what–?” Rose smacks her mouth together… “Whipped cream?”

James stands before her holding the can of whipped cream like a fire extinguisher. “Did it help?”

Rose stares at him until a large blob of cream falls from her chin and into her mug with a loud plop. She looks down at her mug and the mess she’s made and giggles, her laughter growing more hysterical by the moment. Soon, tears of laughter pour from her eyes, and she plunks the mug down on the counter. “Yeah,” she says, gulping in a large breath. “Yeah, it did.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw this prompt on a holiday themed AU prompt list, and I needed to write it immediately: “I burned my tongue on hot cocoa and your first instinct was to spray whipped cream in my mouth like a fire extinguisher” AU.


	6. Scarf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This got a little out of hand, but I am unapologetic about it. (Also, I replaced the word coal with scarf. #sorrynotsorry)
> 
> I just LOVE writing Rose and Jackie.
> 
> Thanks to SelenaTerna for the quick read-through for this one. I ap-purr-ciate it. Haha. Imma stop now.

Rose paces back and forth in her flat, turning her mobile over and over in her hand. It’s been weeks since she’s last spoken to her mum, and…it’s time. Christmas has always been her favorite time of the year, and not sharing the season with her mum this year has been difficult. 

Jackie had been supportive of Rose attending university and excelling in her studies, but the second she’d moved out into her own flat after earning several real paychecks, her mum had accused her of developing “airs and graces,” wondering why she couldn’t just move back to the council estate to live with her. 

It’s not that Rose is ashamed of her upbringing; absolutely not. But she worked hard for the life she has now, and she’s proud of what she’s accomplished: an art history degree and a junior art curator position at the Tate.

With a deep breath, Rose presses Jackie’s name and waits. 

“‘llo, sweetheart,” Jackie says upon answering. 

“Hi, mum,” Rose says, twisting her scarf between her fingers. “Thought I’d…”

“Give your poor, neglected mum a call?” Jackie tartly responds. 

Rose sighs and bites her tongue, determined not to let her usual attitude intervene. “Mum, I just…I needed some space, yeah? I know you don’t think I made the right decision to move out, but I– I haven’t regretted it for a second.”

“Rose, I’m not mad at you, love. Well, all right. I was at first, but someone helped me realize I just didn’t want to be alone all the time. I was…I was scared to let you go and live your life. You’re my baby girl, Rose, an’ I want to hold you close and let you free all at once.”

Sinking into her couch and pillows, Rose pulls a blanket over lap and cuddles further into her scarf. “I’ve missed you, mum.” She’s surprised at her mum’s honesty and hopes they can move past this disagreement. After a moment, she focuses on what Jackie just said. “Who’s someone?” 

There’s a pause on the other line. “Oh, just someone I met at the supermarket,” Jackie says. 

“Mmm, _just someone,_ yeah? A bloke? Mum, do you have a boyfriend?” Rose smiles into the phone. Her mum is just too easy to read, sometimes. 

“Might do, yeah. Since _you_ weren’t coming over for visits, I had to find something to do to fill my time. His name’s Howard. He’s not your father, but…he makes me laugh and gives good foot rubs.”

Rose laughs. “I’ll have to meet him, then. But you can keep the foot rubs for yourself.”

“Oh, I'm not sharing those. And since you mentioned it,” Jackie starts, “Howard and I are having a Christmas party the Saturday before Christmas. Why don’t you come then?”

Pulling her phone away from her ear, Rose checks her calendar to make sure she’s free. The museum is always extra busy around the holidays, and she’s trying to catch a few extra shifts to start saving for her masters. “Yeah, that works.” She pauses, considering. “Can I bring a friend?”

“Oh?” Jackie’s response is so instantaneous that Rose has to hold back a laugh.

“He’s just my neighbor, mum. Calm down. An’ I’m not even sure if he can come, yeah?” 

“Oh, fine, keep your secrets, Rose. Bring your _neighbor._ Bring that Jack of yours, too. He’s always a good laugh at a party.”

“Mum, last time I brought Jack, you drank two bottles of wine and almost took off your shirt in front of me, Mickey, and Martha. An’ that was before you ran half starkers through the courtyard shouting about aliens invadin’ the earth.”

“Well, he’s…he’s a smooth talker, that one. Knows exactly what to say to make a woman blush,” Jackie says without remorse.

“Right…” Rose rolls her eyes and settles in for a long conversation. “So my neighbor…his name’s James Noble, and we met one day when I was looking for Crookshanks...”


	7. The Coffee Shop, Part I: Gingerbread

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Started decorating my house for Christmas today, and I'm feeling a bit more chipper. :D I hope you guys like the next few chapters. I stuck in a little coffee shop AU scenario just for fun.

James sighs in relief as he steps inside the warm cafe. It’s raining harder than it has done in weeks, but it’s not enough to keep him from his coffee fix. He scans the long line and sighs, already impatient, but then shrugs, musing it’s no surprise everyone else is also trying to escape the rain. As he waits, James considers his lesson plans for the next week, looking forward to the lab classes over the lectures. He’s always more interested in the practical application of teaching than anything else. 

“A gingerbread latte, please,” a familiar voice says in front of him, and James studies the petite blonde, realizing after a moment that he knows the woman. 

“Rose?” he asks, a smile creeping across his face. His neighbor has charmed him thoroughly over the last few weeks, and he’s attempted (and failed) multiple times to deny the reason his heartbeat increases every time he sees her. 

“James!” Rose smiles so brightly, the sight of it sending James’s heart hammering in his chest once more. She quickly pays and waits for him to order, speaking only after he joins her at the end of the counter to wait for their drinks. “Escaping the weather? It’s bloody miserable out there. I needed something warm and sugary to fuel the rest of my afternoon.”

“Yeah, I come here most days during my afternoon break to work on lesson plans. Coffee keeps me going,” he says. 

“Rose! The Doctor!” the barista calls out, interrupting their conversation.

When James takes the cup labeled with “The Doctor,” Rose gives him a curious glance. “It’s my nickname,” he explains, smirking, leading the way to a table that had just opened up across the cafe. “A few of my mates thought they’d be funny after I graduated with my second doctorate. Then Donna found out, and I’ve been called the Doctor ever since.”

As she takes a seat, Rose’s eyes widen at the mention of his educational background. “Hold up, two  _ doctorates?  _ Blimey. I thought I was doing good with my art history degree.” She takes a sip of her coffee and gazes at him in speculation. 

“Oh, well, it’s only a bit of physics mixed with some time… and space,” he says, shrugging it off like no big deal. “Quantum physics… Astrophysics…”

“Right…” Rose says in disbelief. “So do you want me to call you ‘the Doctor’ like everyone else? Or do you prefer James?”

James sips at his coffee and ponders her question. He doesn’t mind his mates and cousin calling him the Doctor; doesn’t mind it at all in fact. But he’d introduced himself as James and would feel like a pompous git expecting – or wanting – her to call him by his nickname originally created to amplify his academic achievements.

“You can call me whatever you’d like… I’ll even answer to Sir Doctor, if you feel like it.” James waggles his eyebrows and grins. 

Rose just laughs. 


	8. The Coffee Shop, Part II: Eggnog

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're welcome. ;)

James has never enjoyed an accidental meet up with a neighbor – or friend – so much before in his life. His neighbors have historically been crotchety old ladies berating him about his poor sense of style, the lack of meat on his “skinny bones,” and his dismal manners. (He only used his fingers to eat jam out of Mrs. Figg’s jam jar that _one time.)_ Rose, however. Rose is different. First of all, she’s not his landlord. Second, she’s pretty. And funny. And smart. And witty. And pretty. _Did he mention pretty already?_

And really, if he’s truly being honest, she’s _gorgeous._

As their empty coffee cups sit to the side, James gets to know Rose more than he has the last few times they’ve spent any time together. He’s learned she works at the Tate Modern Art Museum in London as a junior art curator and is saving to go back to school soon for her masters. Her father died when she was a baby, and her mum still lives on a council estate in southeast London. She’s bright and curious, and he finds himself completely besotted. 

As they’re sharing a laugh over a story about Donna, a strange man walks up behind Rose and leans down beside her at the table. James frowns.

“Hey baby, let me put a little egg in your nog,” the man says with a lecherous smile and an unmistakable American accent. 

Rose jumps in surprise, and James’s frown deepens and his brow furrows in annoyance. But then she… _smiles._ Turning to face the man, she laughs, holding a hand over her heart. “God, Jack, you scared me half to death.”

“Hey, Rosie,” the man – _Jack –_ says with a wide smile. Rose jumps up with a matching grin, and they share a hug. 

(James thinks seven point three seconds is a little long for a casual hug between friends, but he’s not going to call them out on it or anything.) 

“Who’s this tasty treat, Rosie? Are you not sharing your friends again? You know we’ve talked about this.” Jacks striking blue eyes roam eagerly over James as he pulls out the extra seat at the table and settles in to join them. 

James turns his gaze to Rose without a word to Jack and is pleased to find Rose rolling her eyes at her friend. “Jack, keep it in your pants. _Blimey,_ you’re gonna scare away all my friends. This is my neighbor, James, also known as the Doctor. Doctor,” Rose’s eyes twinkle as she meets James’s surprised ones, “this is my friend Jack. He flirts with anyone with two feet, so just ignore him if he comes on too strong.” 

_“The Doctor,_ eh?” Jack scrutinizes James.

“Yep!” He says with a pop to the ‘p.’ “That’s me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took a spin through a list of cheesy Christmas pick-up lines, and this is what it provided. I'm pretty sure I made SelenaTerna choke on her tea when I sent her this for a quick read-through. ;)


	9. Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mean, the cat had to make another appearance, obviously...

James scratches Crookshanks between the ears. “If I give you a nibble, you won’t tell Rose, will you?” He walks to his cupboard and pulls out the new package of cat treats he’d picked up…just in case. 

“Meoowrrr,” Crookshanks replies, following his movements with beady yellow eyes.

James nods. “Good man,” he says before placing a few treats on the countertop. “Now, was there something you needed to discuss or did you simply want some male bonding time?”

Crookshanks licks his front paw twice before sitting back on his haunches and licking his hind leg. 

“Yes, well, this has been a good chat.” James rolls his eyes, pats the cat on the head once, and turns to head toward his workshop. Bloody useless, cats. 

A knock on the front door stops him mid-step, and he spins around on his heel to head to the door, wondering if it’s the owner of said cat. He pulls the door open, beaming when he finds his favorite neighbor standing there.

“Rose! Fancy seeing you here. I actually have something that belongs to you,” James says, leaning on the doorframe. 

“Rrrr...meowrrr…” With the impeccable timing of a cat who knows exactly what it’s doing, Crookshanks winds his way between James’s legs before greeting his mistress with a nudge of his head against her leg. 

“Crookie!” Rose breaks out into a wide smile and bends over to pick up her cat. “What’re you doing with the Doctor? Silly boy.” She presses her face into the cat’s fur and breathes in deeply. 

James grimaces, determined not to be jealous of a cat. 

Pointedly clearing his throat, he decides to betray the impertinent orange feline. “Heard him scratching at my front door, and he ran right in like he owned the place,” he explains. 

Rose releases her squirming cat and watches as he sprints down the hallway, trying to catch a fly. “Yeah…he does that.” She laughs, then turns her attention back to James. “My mum is having a holiday party at her flat the Saturday before Christmas. I told her about you, an’ she insisted I invite you.” Her cheeks turn slightly pink at this last bit.

James smirks. Did Rose just…? “Do you _want_ me to come? That is, are _you_ inviting me, or is your mum?” he asks, pressing for the answer he really needs.

The blush on Rose’s cheeks intensifies, but she meets his gaze without wavering. _"I_ _’d_ love you to come. If you want.”


	10. Biscuits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by this prompt: “You offered to help with my holiday baking and now I have 400 cookies and I live alone” AU.

Rose looks around her tiny kitchen, eyes wide with alarm. Her impromptu baking session with James has left her kitchen looking like a flour cyclone just swept through. Flecks of colored icing dot James’s face, and she’s fairly certain there’s a glob of dough somewhere in his hair. She’s not much better if the amused once over he gives her is anything to go on.

“How did this happen?” she asks, wondering if he’s going to abandon her to clean up this mess herself. 

_ “Welllllll,” _ James drawls, “I saw you struggling with  _ five _ bags of groceries and offered to help you carry them up the stairs. Then you invited me in for a cuppa and explained how you needed to bake some Christmas biscuits for an exchange at work, and…the rest is history.” 

“Yeah, but… How’d we bake so  _ many? _ I only needed a few dozen for work! What am I going to do with 400 biscuits?” The real questions, she realizes, is where is she going to  _ store _ all the biscuits?

“Oh, well, that’s not a problem. My primary food group in December is Christmas biscuits, Rose.”

“James.  _ Doctor. _ You are  _ not _ going to eat  _ all  _ of these biscuits. You’ll make yourself sick,” Rose insists, crossing her arms over her chest.

James pouts. “That’s what Donna always says.”

Rose laughs. “Is Donna your carer or something?”

“Well, she usually keeps me from making really stupid decisions,” James admits with a sheepish shrug. 

Ros realizes she really needs to meet this cousin of his. She thinks they’ll have a great deal to talk about. 

“Well, since she’s not here right now, I’m gonna keep you from making the stupid decision of eating all these biscuits.” Rose thinks for a moment and brightens. “I know, why don’t we put them in the extra gift bags and deliver them to the other tenants? Spread some Christmas cheer?”

“Okay, but before we go…” He steps closer – very close – and Rose’s breath hitches in her throat. James reaches out and brushes something off her cheek – flour, most likely – and twirls a strand of her hair around his finger. “You’ve got green icing in your hair,” he says with a chuckle, then steps away, spinning around to focus on the biscuits.

Rose blinks, and then, after a beat, exhales a ragged sigh. 

* * *

Later, after delivering handfuls of biscuits to their neighbors, Rose calls Jack. “Why does everyone think we’re a couple? We’re not a couple!”

Over the phone, Rose can almost hear her friend roll his eyes. “Oh, honey.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

Jack just laughs. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note: Right now I've got a tiny bit of backlog (like, a few days...not much) for this fic, and I'm hoping to get caught up or finished this weekend. However, if I'm not able to get ahead, I'm not able to guarantee a daily post through the end of this month due to the obvious (Christmas) and some personal obligations. I WILL finish it, however, and I'll keep it my priority until it's done.


	11. The Charity Event, Part I: Elves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I _may_ add a third part to this mini story arc. I need to write it first, however, to see if it fits, and then we shall see. 
> 
> I've gotten some incredible comments on this story over the last few days, and I just want to tell you guys how much they mean to me. Truly, it's an amazing feeling. Thank you so much!

As Rose steps into the hospital, she looks at the invite in her hand to double check the location of the benefit, even though she’d memorized the exact time and place when she pulled the invitation out of her post box two days ago. James’s almost illegible handwriting covers the invite, and she’d followed his requests.

* * *

_Join Santa’s Elves at Royal Station Children’s Hospital for the 27th annual toy and funds_

_drive benefiting the children and families served by the hospital._

_December 14, 2019_

~~_4:30PM_~~ **\-- Get there at 3:30 if you can!**

_Inpatient Pavilion_

_The donation drive requests unused toys, books, and art supplies for all genders and ages._

_Monetary donations are also welcome._

_Guests are encouraged to dress in holiday appropriate attire._ **\-- Please?**

* * *

She studies the large map on display, turning left to make her way to the inpatient pavilion. Her bright red Converse, which match perfectly with a red jumper dress cinched at the waist with a sparkly silver belt, squeak quietly on the glossy floor. Green and white leggings patterned with snowflakes cover her legs under the dress. Before leaving her flat, she’d quickly plaited her hair to the side and left her trusted silver hoops in her ears. Festive enough, she hopes. 

“Rose? Rose, you came!” James’s voice calls out to her from halfway across the room. 

Rose turns toward him, and– _“Oh my God.”_

James – _the Doctor_ – stands before her as an… _Elf._ An elf in red and white striped tights, green felt shoes that curl at the front with a dangling bell, a matching green romper, and a green and red hat, embellished with bells and glitter. He looks… 

With a swallow, Rose banishes her attraction to the back of her mind. He’s an _elf._ One of Santa’s helpers. She shouldn’t… But his long, fit legs in those tights… And the romper is snug in all the right places… 

When James bounds closer, she blinks at his sudden appearance in front of her. 

“I didn’t know if you’d come!” he exclaims in delight. “I didn’t see you around the last few days.”

Rose smiles, relaxing instantly as James’s voice drags her thoughts back to less dangerous waters. “Yeah, ‘course I came. I had the day off, but I worked late all week.” She pauses and looks around, her heart warming at all the activities set up for the children She imagines it’ll be very busy once everyone arrives. “This is brilliant, James. I had no idea about this benefit. Mum and me lived too far away from this hospital, so it wasn’t really on our radar.”

“Donna started working here three years ago, and she’s in charge of the whole event this year,” James explains. 

“Oh, she’s here? I’d love to meet her!”

James nods. “But first you need to see what I’ve been working on in my workshop!”

Rose brightens with interest. “Oh?”


	12. The Charity Event, Part II: Bright

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnnd.......here's Donna! 
> 
> Here's the last of my prepped content! (It's a generous offering...almost 675 words!) I'm off tomorrow and have nothing planned except for a car inspection, so I'm hoping to get some work done on this project. 🤞🏼

James takes Rose’s hand and pulls her across the pavilion to the back wall. She expects to see some sort of Santa’s village set up, complete with a live-action Santa, but instead, she finds a partial village and…a bright blue box in an exact replica of one of the old police boxes from the 1950s. 

Rose’s brow furrows in confusion. “James, is that a police box?”

 _“Yep!”_ James beams at her, his crooked smile doing things to her insides. 

“Oh, you have _got_ to be _kidding_ me!” An outraged voice bellows behind them, and both James and Rose spin around. A woman stands several feet away looking furious, her arms crossed over her chest. Long, red hair floats around her, and the effect is somewhat startling. “You _bloomin’_ idiot!”

Rose looks quickly between James and the woman, then glances around them. A few people are staring but most have returned to their tasks. 

“Hello, Donna,” James says, taking a step back as though it will put enough distance between him and Donna’s wrath. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“I asked for Santa’s village, you plonker. Not your bloody TARDIS.” Donna marches up to the blue box and studies it and the landscape around the box.

“TARDIS?” Rose asks, cutting a glance at James. 

“Time and Relative Dimension in Space!” he explains. “It’s what I named my spaceship when I was a child.” He pats the side of the box. “She’s sentient, too.”

Rose laughs. “I had an invisible friend named Boe. He was an alien with a giant head.”

At this piece of information, James looks as though Christmas has come early. He opens his mouth to reply, but is quickly cut off by Donna. 

“Oh, you _have_ found your perfect match.” Donna studies Rose with an alarming intensity. “You must be Rose. I’m Spaceman’s cousin, Donna.” 

Rose takes the proffered hand. “Charmed.” She looks to James. “Spaceman?”

“Oh, always has his head in space, that one. Always has. Thought he was from Mars when we were younger. Gramps is the one who gave him his first telescope. There was no going back after that.” 

Rose smiles, already somewhat smitten with Donna. It’s obvious her bark is worse than her bite, and it’s very clear she’s fond of James. 

“Now,” Donna says, leveling a fierce stare at James. “What happened?”

James runs a hand through his hair, a nervous tick that Rose has noticed on more than one occasion. “Well, Santa’s village was too _boring._ Kids have seen Santa’s village a million times. Why can’t they have Santa in a spaceship?” He glances at Rose. “Would you like to look inside, Rose?”

She shrugs, noting his deflection tactics. “Sure, why not?”

Taking her hand again, James leads Rose to the police box and steps inside. For a brief moment, Rose wonders how they’ll both fit, but the box is _impossibly_ bigger on the inside. Her jaw drops. “How…?”

The police box is decorated with bits of Christmas bric-a-brac and a chair for Santa and a visiting child. There’s plenty of room on the edges for a few elves, parents, and the event photographer. 

Rose drops James’s hand and steps outside. “How is this possible?” she asks incredulously. “The inside is bigger than the outside!”

James smirks, clearly pleased with Rose’s reaction. “Oh, a few tricks here and there. I used my skills as a doctor of science to bend dimensional space to my will.” 

Donna snorts. 

Rose laughs. “Fine, then, keep your secrets.” James just rocks back in his elf shoes with a smug grin. “Donna, I really think the kids will love this,” she says, coming to James’s defense. “It’s different and fun, and no one will expect the inside to be so big.”

With a heavily exaggerated sigh, Donna says, “Fine. But I get to take as many photos as I want of you in those dashing tights, and…you never know when a photo might…reappear.” 

The utterly terrified look on James face confirms that Donna is a woman not to be trifled with.


	13. The Charity Event, Part III: Hat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter went an _entirely_ different direction than I had originally planned. Jack will be back later on...I hope. 
> 
> Hope you like this one! I remembered it's a charity at a children's hospital and decided to interact with the target crowd a bit. That, and I love Donna calling the Doctor all the things. ;)

Much to James’s delight, Rose decides to join him as an elf in training for the duration of the event. She’s already dressed the part, and the children won’t care about the subtle differences in their outfits. Donna hands them both an elf hat to put on, as all the other elves don matching hats. 

When he refuses to put on the hat, however, Donna loses patience and attempts to cram the hat on top of his head. It’s a clear act of revenge after his  _ slight _ defiance with the TARDIS. 

“No, absolutely not,” James says, crossing his arms over his chest. “I put far too much effort into my hair this morning to have it flattened by such an atrocity. Plus,” he grimaces, “they’re scratchy.”

His gaze, as ever these days, inevitably travels to Rose, and she’s biting her lip, clearly trying to hold back laughter. Her cheeks flush a rosy red, and her eyes dance with poorly contained mirth. 

Beside him, Donna smirks. “Oh, and is there a particular reason you spent so long on your hair this morning?” 

James freezes, eyes meeting Donna’s briefly before traveling back to Rose. 

“Mmmmhmmm, that’s what I thought. Bloody peacock, you are.” Donna rolls her eyes and sighs. “I don’t have time for this. Rose, will you get him to put it on?” 

“I’ll  _ try,” _ Rose says, taking the hat. “But...I dunno. Hair like that is a gift and should be protected at all costs. An elf hat would…” She shudders. “It’s too terrible to think about.” 

Laughing loudly, James watches as Donna throws her hands up in the air and stalks away with a harumph of disgust. 

“That was  _ brilliant,”  _ he says with reverent appreciation, grinning at Rose. 

“Well, that carefully messed up look...can’t have this ugly thing hiding it away from the world, yeah?” Her lips twitch in amusement as she twirls the hat around. “What if we…” 

Rose looks around and spots a young, bald-headed boy in a wheelchair a few feet away. Stepping toward him, she bends down and holds out her hand. “Hi, I’m Rose, one of Santa’s elves. What’s your name?”

The little boy looks wide-eyed at Rose and turns at his mother, who nods at him with a smile. He returns his attention to Rose. “M’ name’s Jamie.”

“Nice to meet you, Jamie. See this hat? Well, that elf over there,” she points to James, “is a bit of a rebel and doesn’t want to wear his very special elf hat. I was wondering if you’d like to wear it instead. You’ll be an honorary elf for the day.”

“Really?” Jamie is awestruck at this prospect. 

As James watches Rose fit the hat on the little boy, he can’t keep the smile off his face. His Rose – well, not  _ his,  _ not that he’d say no to such a prospect, but she’s not his in the ownership sense, absolutely not (he’s not that sort of bloke) – is brilliant and kind and  _ oh,  _ he’s got it  _ bad. _

He hops up to join Rose. “Hi, Jamie, I’m the Doctor. Like Rose said, I’m a bit rebellious, and I really don’t like hats.” He scowls for effect, and Jamie laughs. “I’d like to show you Santa’s spaceship. What do you say, eh?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I replaced chestnuts with hat off the 2019 word list.


	14. Ornaments & Peppermint: Part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a few fluffy little bits over the next few days. 🎄

“It’s my first Christmas on my own,” Rose explains, standing in James’s doorway while chewing nervously on her thumbnail. “An’ I thought I’d decorate my tree by myself, but…it’s a bit lonely and thought you’d like to help. I know it’s late...” 

As if he, James – the Doctor – Noble, could ever refuse Rose.

“I’d love to, Rose,” he says, quickly ducking inside his flat to grab his keys off his table, and joins his neighbor in the hallway. The cross the way to her flat and step inside. 

James looks around, as he always does when inside Rose’s flat, and spots her tree standing in the corner, half strung with lights. “Oh, I know why you wanted me here,” he says with a mock sigh of annoyance, “Stringing fairy lights is a bloody nuisance, and you needed some help.” He ruffles his hair, noting with satisfaction the way Rose’s gaze focuses on the motion.

Rose blushes. “Oi, I don’t need help. Do it every year at mum’s while she sits around with a glass of cheap wine.”

“Right, I  _ completely _ believe you, Rose,” James drawls, walking over to the tree to figure out where she’d left the lights hanging. 

She mumbles something crude, and he grins to himself. Within moments, he’s found the leading lights and continues stringing them around the tree. It’s short enough that he can easily reach the top without a chair. 

Rose disappears and arrives at the tree a few minutes later with a small rubber tote. “I don’t have many ornaments this year, but I do have the ones mum bought me growing up. Didn’t have much, mum and me, but she always made sure she had enough to get me at least one new ornament and one gift. More if she could, of course.” She pauses, clearly lost in memories as she sorts through the box. 

For once in his life, James isn’t quite sure what to say. He’d grown up with Donna, his own parents having been killed in an accident when he was quite young, and holidays at the Noble house had always been quite comfortable. He rather thinks, however, that Rose would not welcome pity.

“My favorite memory,” Rose continues, looking at him with a smile as she hands him a tiny red bicycle, “is the year mum got some extra work and bought a used bike off a neighbor. I rode that thing all over the estate.” Her smile morphs into a sly grin, and James’s heart stutters a few beats at the sight. “I was a bloody menace.” 


	15. Ornaments & Peppermint: Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I TEASE

At some point during the evening, James finds a box of candy canes, quickly eating his way through half the box. Rose rolls her eyes at his childlike abandon toward anything related to sugar. 

“No wonder Donna has to monitor your sugar intake,” she says with a laugh. “You’re out of control.” 

“Me?” he asks in mock affront.  _ “Naahhh.” _

“Yes, you,” Rose giggles, swiping the box of candy canes from his grip before he can grab another. “Save some for the rest of the class.” She plucks a candy cane from the box, unwraps it, and sticks the straight end in her mouth, all the while staring at James, a challenge in her eyes. 

She expects him to snatch the box out of her grip, but when he instead wraps his mouth around the curved end of the candy and meets her gaze, her eyes widen in shock. 

His unusually close proximity is...tantalizing. He smells of peppermint and hair product, the combination strangely alluring. He’s so close she can see the rough growth of stubble on his cheeks. 

Time stops as they stare at each other, their mouths inches away from each other on opposite ends of the candy cane, for several long moments. 

James breaks the fragile moment between them with a loud crunch as he bites off the end of the candy cane. He pulls away with a smirk, as though he knows  _ exactly _ what he does to her, and chews on the candy. 

Rose pulls the candy cane from her mouth and exhales a ragged breath. 

_ Fuck. _


	16. Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting a bit more serious for a moment. :) Hope you enjoy!

Rose bites into a chip and studies James, and he sighs, fiddling with the wrapper to his straw. “Out with it,” he growls, “you’ve been thinking about something the whole time we’ve been here.”

Swallowing her food, Rose flushes. “Oh, uh…” she starts, and James knows without looking that she’s fiddling with the hem of her jumper. “I was, well...can I ask you a personal question?”

“Rose, just ask what you want to ask,” he says, reaching across the table and stealing one of her chips. 

“Oi,” she protests without much heat. “Don’t steal my chips, especially when you didn’t pay for ‘em.” James rolls his eyes, knowing she’s not going to let him forget that while he’d offered to take her out for chips, she’d been the one to pay, because he’d been a git and had forgotten his wallet. 

“You’re stalling.” James takes another chip and pokes her in the hand with it. She bats the chip away and sits back in her chair. 

“I was wondering,” she says, “why you never talk much about your family. I know Donna’s your cousin, yeah, an’ that your granddad bought you your first telescope. But you don’t really say much about anyone else.” Rose shrugs. “Don’t have to share if you don’t want, but...I was just curious.”

Inwardly, James sighs. Rose has been quite open with sharing details about her own life and past, and he knows his lack of reciprocation hasn’t gone unnoticed, given Rose’s current proddings into his life. 

“Well,” he says, tugging on an ear, “it’s a bit depressing, really. My own mum and dad were killed when I was quite young. They were scientists who ended up on the wrong side of an experiment gone badly.” Rose’s eyes widen in shock and sympathy, but she doesn’t say anything. “Donna’s not  _ really _ my cousin, but our parents were friends, and they adopted me since I didn’t have any other family. Donna’s...brilliant. Well, you’ve met her. She’s a force to be reckoned with. Granddad is special, really special. He’s the one who bought me my first telescope and introduced me to the stars. I’ll never be able to repay him for that.”

James lifts his eyes to Rose, and she’s staring at him with rapt attention. It feels good telling someone about his life, someone who doesn’t  _ know, _ and it buoys him on. “I don’t get on well with Aunt Sylvia. She’s a bit...much,” he finishes lamely, struggling to find the word to define Sylvia’s overbearing and controlling manner. “But then, again, neither does Donna. Went to university in Scotland just so she didn’t have to come home for Sunday tea.” 

Rose snorts into her drink. 

“I traveled around for a while before joining Donna in Edinburgh for university. I got my advanced degrees at Oxford, and now I’m back in London, teaching. Two months ago I moved into a new flat and discovered I have the most  _ charming _ neighbor. She’s kept me  _ wildly _ entertained.” He waggles his eyebrows at his charming neighbor in question and grins. 

Across from him, Rose blushes and pulls a chip out of her basket as though to distract herself. 


	17. Ugly jumper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See the end note for my reason for skipping yesterday. 
> 
> I've got one more day prepped, and I'm still trying to figure out how I want to work the last major section of this story. I'm hoping to get back to it this weekend.

“Oh, I’ve been meaning to tell you,” Rose says, walking up the stairs in their building to their level. “Mum requires everyone to wear an ugly Christmas jumper to her party.” She casts a glance at James, just to gauge his reaction. 

He stops mid-step and turns to Rose, a look of horror on his face. “No, absolutely not.”

Rose laughs. “You wore a bloody  _ elf _ costume at the children’s hospital. How is that not worse than a Christmas jumper?”

When James juts out his bottom lip in a pout, Rose has the momentary desire to take it gently between her teeth and–  _ Wait.  _ She’s not supposed to go  _ there. _ She’s relieved beyond measure that he can’t hear her traitorous mind. 

“It’s not worse,” he says, with an undertone of petulance, “because I dress like an elf for the kids.  _ Sick _ kids who deserve a little festive happiness in their lives. The ugly jumper is for your  _ mum.”  _

“Oi! You’ve never even met my mum.” Rose pokes him in the chest. “You watch your attitude.” 

“What, or you’ll uninvite me?” James asks, a crooked grin on his face as though he  _ knows _ she won’t rescind her invitation. 

Rose has a special smile reserved for those who deserve a bit of light hearted devilish revenge, and she turns that smile on him full blast. His eyes flicker briefly with unease, and she widens her smile. “No, but I’ll tell mum to give you a  _ very  _ special welcome to her home. She’s...well... You’ll just have to meet Jackie Tyler for yourself. First time she met Jack, she kissed him right on the mouth.”

She walks away leaving a flustered James in her wake, his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide with panic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confession: I skipped posting yesterday because I was immersed in HP fic and couldn't be bothered to get myself to my laptop. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Look, I held myself out of this all consuming rabbit hole for years and had no interest until a recent reread of the series pissed me off enough and sent me to SelenaTerna, casually (read: not casually) begging for fic recs. Rereading HP as an adult closer to 40 than 30 is a trip, guys. I don't even know what's happening. 
> 
> It's the fandom circle of life. Read/Watch it. Love it. Hate it. Read/write all the things to fix it. Rinse and repeat.


	18. Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! 
> 
> I hope to get back to this story tomorrow!

“Rose has a new neighbor,” Jack announces to the table. 

“Jack,” Rose hisses, but it’s too late. Everyone around the table stops talking instantly and looks at their friend.

“Oh? Do tell,” Mickey demands, putting his elbows on the table and leaning toward Jack and Rose. Beside him, Martha leans forward as well, looking equally interested. 

Jack grins in obvious delight. “Oh yes, he’s exactly her type: tall, sexy, brown hair, brown eyes. He’s got the geek thing going for him, too, with that slim suit and Chucks. If she doesn’t snag him soon, I will!” 

Rose takes a swig of her drink to try and hide her blush, but her friends know her all too well. 

“That’s what I’m talking about, Rose!” Mickey shouts. “Have you guys–” He makes a rude gesture with his hands and Martha punches him in the arm. 

“Oh my God, you guys, _shut up!”_ She glares at Jack and Mickey. “Fine, I’ll tell you about James, but keep it down, okay? I don’t need the entire pub to know.”

Martha smiles and reaches a hand out toward Rose. “Just ignore them,” she says, “and tell us about– James, is it?”

Jack frowns. “I thought it was the Doctor.”

“Yeah, it is, but that’s his nickname. His real name is James Noble, and he lives down the hall from me. I lost Crookshanks one day and knocked on his door to see if he’d seen him. We got to talking, ran into each other a few times in the hallway…” She trails off, her blush intensifying. “I accidentally ran into him with my Christmas tree.”

“And?” Mickey prompts. 

Rose rolls her eyes. “And I gave him a bag of frozen peas to ice his eye. We’re just mates, so stop asking me if we’ve–”

Jack snorts. “Mates, _right._ I saw the way you looked at him at the cafe…” He grins, his eyes glinting in amusement. “And I saw the way he looked at me when I walked up behind you and said hello. Thought he was gonna punch me through the window.” 

“Knowing you, he probably had good reason to,” Martha says with a sigh, rolling her eyes. 

With a nod at Martha, Rose agrees. “Yeah, he said hello with the worst pick-up line I’ve ever heard in my life. I could have been with a _colleague,_ Jack. Honestly…” 

Jack shrugs, clearly unrepentant. 

“So where’s lover boy tonight?” Mickey winks at Rose.

“I didn’t ask him, because I knew Jack would say something, and I wanted you to get it out of your system before mum’s Christmas party.” 

“Oh, ho, ho, he’s coming to Jackie’s party? Brave man.” Mickey nods in approval.

“Yeah, and he’s never met mum, so please be...nice. And for _fucks sake,_ please don’t interrogate him.” Rose glares at all her friends. At her glare, they look at least moderately chastised. She _is_ Jackie Tyler’s daughter and knows how to deliver a threatening glare. Taking a deep breath, she decides to be vulnerable. “I really like James, so please don’t scare him away.”

“Don’t worry, Rosie,” Jack says, squeezing her shoulder. “We’ll look out for him. If you want to keep him around, _we_ want to keep him around.”


	19. Garland

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um, yeah... I spent Friday and Saturday reading a 290k word fic for a different fandom. Heh. #sorrynotsorry
> 
> I _did,_ however, intentionally stop myself from starting something new, because I really wanted to update this fic this weekend. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!

“Where’s your jumper?” Rose asks with a frown.

James, dressed in his typical pinstripe brown suit and Chucks, stands in her doorway. He rocks back onto his heels and tugs on an earlobe. “Er, well,” he starts, then grimaces as he takes in Rose’s tacky jumper and outfit. “Christmas jumpers are an abomination. I won’t wear one.” 

Rose bites the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at the child-like insolence in his voice. “That’s kind of the point, Doctor,” she says, using his nickname. “They’re  _ supposed _ to be an abomination. The old jumpers are the best. I found mine at a charity shop and made it more interesting.” She gestures at the garish fake poinsettias and bells she’d sewn over the already hideous red, green, and brown jumper vest she’d found several weeks ago. Beneath it, she’s wearing a baggy green turtleneck with large snowflakes scattered over the surface. Battery operated fairy lights wind through her plaited hair, and outlandish Christmas tree earrings dangle from her ears. 

James makes a face. “You look...charming.” Sticking his hands in his pockets, he looks around, his body humming with his usual boundless energy. “So, should we go? Don’t want to be late for your mum’s party.”

Rose smiles, making sure James notices the glint in her eye, and he steps back a pace. “Oh no,” she says. “Mum doesn’t let anyone in her door without a jumper.”

“No…”

“Oh yes,” Rose answers and grabs his hand, pulling him inside her flat. “I had a suspicion you wouldn’t adhere to the dress code, so I made you your very own, very  _ special _ jumper...just in case.” She almost laughs at the panicked expression on his face as she hands him a shopping bag. 

James takes it with one finger and holds it away from him, nose wrinkled, like he’s holding a sack of manure. With a resigned sigh, he walks to her table and places the bag on it before pulling out…

_ “No,” _ he whispers in horror, holding Rose’s masterpiece in front of him. 

It’s  _ atrocious, _ truly so, and Rose is quite proud of her creation. She’d found a simple blue Christmas jumper with a fuzzy brown bear adorning the front with a few knitted snowflakes scattered about. Rose’s additions include a horrifying baby doll face sewn to the back and outlined in gold feathers, clumps of green garland stitched in waves across the front and back, red and green pom poms adorned with tiny flashing lights, a smattering of googly eyes she’d glued to the front, and two gigantic silver bows sewn onto the shoulders.

This time, Rose allows her laugh to escape. It sounds rather evil to her ears, but she allows it given the situation. “You know,” she says with a smirk, “if you’d just picked out your own Christmas jumper, you wouldn’t be in this mess.”

James swallows, working his mouth in a useless way, as though he still hadn’t found the words to express his true horror. 

“Come on,” Rose coaxes, taking the jumper from his hands and waving at him to take off his blazer. “Mum’s expecting us.”


	20. The Christmas Party, Part I: Stockings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here starts the Christmas party.... :D
> 
> I'll update the chapter titles once I know what words I pick next.

“Happy Christmas, love!” With a shrill shout, a platinum blond woman in a tacky jumper, fishnet stockings, and reindeer antlers throws open the door and immediately pulls Rose in for a clumsy hug. 

James stands behind Rose and eyes the woman with wary reluctance. This must be the infamous Jackie Tyler. He stands to the side, trying to hide himself in a shadow on the landing, but the woman quickly pulls herself free from Rose and makes a beeline toward him. 

“You must be  _ James,”  _ the woman squeals, pulling him down by his shoulders and planting a large, sloppy kiss right on his lips. “I’m Jackie Tyler, Rose’s mum! I’ve heard so much about you, love. Aw, look at your jumper. ‘S got my Rose’s signature all over it. Didn’t wanna wear one, did ya?” She pats his cheek several times in exaggerated affection. 

_ “Eugh!” _ James pulls back in horror, staring wide-eyed at Jackie as she babbles on and on. She  _ kissed  _ him. She  _ actually _ kissed him. 

Inside the doorway, Rose pulls on her mum’s jumper with a loud hiss.  _ “Mum! _ Stop it! You’ll scare him away. How much have you had to drink already? You’re worse with James than you were with Jack!”

James closes his eyes, hoping that if he does so, he’ll disappear and find himself somewhere else, far,  _ far, _ away from Jackie’s wandering lips. 

“Oh, Rose, I’m just introducing myself to your new boyfriend. ‘S only proper,” Jackie says, finally allowing herself to be pulled away from James. 

_ Boyfriend? _

“He’s not my boyfriend, mum. He’s my  _ neighbor,” _ Rose says with a huff. 

“That’s not what Mickey says!” Jackie says before turning turns and marching inside her flat. 

“Arrrggghhhhhh,” Rose growls. “Sure, you’ll listen to  _ Mickey, _ but not your own daughter. Bloody interfering gits.” 

James watches, nonplussed. “Who’s Rickey?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to do the Rickey bit. ;)


	21. The Christmas Party, Part II: Naughty (and) Nice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas/holiday week! 
> 
> I saw this meme recently that inspired me with some Jack bits for this particular chapter. I'm not sure if I executed it the way I had in my mind, but I hope you guys enjoy it nonetheless. 
> 
> Also, I'd like to give a huge thank you to SelenaTerna for this chapter -- she helped me brainstorm and move past a massive block I was having.

“Rose, look,” Martha says, nodding to where Jackie has James cornered in the kitchen. He looks around with wide eyes and an expression of vivid desperation while Jackie prods him in the chest with her finger.

With a loud sigh, Rose rolls her eyes. “Oh, bloody hell. Why can’t she leave him alone?” 

“You know how Jackie gets after a few glasses of eggnog and a bottle of vino,” Mickey says with a loud guffaw of laughter. “She’s probably interrogating him about his intentions toward you. Next thing you know, she’ll be planning your wedding!”

“Oh, God, you’re right,” Rose groans. “I’ll go rescue him,” 

Jack jumps up from the couch where he’s flirting shamelessly with one of Jackie’s friends. “Does your dashing neighbor need someone to come to his aid?”

Rose raises an eyebrow. “I should say no, but I kind of want to see this.” 

Jack smirks at her over his shoulder as he saunters into the kitchen. Rose, Mickey, and Martha quickly scurry to the tiny window that opens out to the living room and pretend to graze for food on the table set up nearby. 

“Jackie,” Jack booms, “you look absolutely _delicious._ I _love_ the outfit.” Rose marvels as he deftly spins Jackie away from a relieved looking James and surveys her outfit with his hands on her shoulders. “The sweater, the skirt and stockings – _oh,_ you _are_ a naughty thing, aren’t you – and the antlers. Perfection. Christmas party perfection.”

Jackie flushes a deep red but smiles a simpering sort of thing that makes Rose want to vomit into the punch bowl. Mickey snickers behind her. 

“Hi Jack, was just having a little chat with Rose’s boyfriend. Need to know what his intentions are, you know?” Jackie fixes a remarkably stern gaze on James, who freezes in place in his attempt to edge out of the kitchen. 

“Oh, Jackie, none of that, now. This is a Christmas party,” Jack says, flinging an arm around Jackie and guiding her carefully out of the kitchen. “There are far more important questions to be asked in this festive season.”

“Like what?” Jackie asks, looking between Jack and Rose with a curious expression. 

“Are you on the naughty or nice list?” Jack winks at Jackie and hands her a flute of what Rose knows is cheap champagne.

Jackie looks mischievously at Howard, who is talking to a neighbor across the room. “Oh, a little of this, a little of that.” She takes a sip of her drink. “What about you?”

Jack meets Rose’s gaze and smirks. “Jackie, darling, I _am_ the naughty list.” 

Everyone in the vicinity groans at Jack’s predictable response, and James sidles up to Rose’s side, scratching the back of his head in one of his nervous ticks. 

“Is he always like that?” he asks, wrinkling his nose in distaste.

Mickey snorts. “Mate, Jack just saved your arse from a classic Jackie Tyler interrogation. Best not criticize his methods.”

James breaks into a grin. “Point taken.” He picks up a drink from the table and cheers Jack, who winks and nods in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been hitting some blocks with the rest of this story, which is why I haven't been updating. I have a few later chapters written, but I haven't gotten into the next word/chapter yet. I'll update when my muse cooperates, lol. *shakes fist at muse*


	22. The Christmas Party, Part III: Mistletoe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun...
> 
> You're welcome. 
> 
> Thanks again to ST for the quick read through.

“Whatcha lookin’ for, Doctor?” Rose asks. 

At her sudden appearance at his side, James jumps. “Oh, uh, nothing,” he stammers, tugging on his ear. 

Rose smirks, and James feels his heart thudding loudly in his chest at the sight. “Don’t lie,” she says, looking at his hand at his ear. He drops it instantly, and her grin widens. “Looking for the loo?”

“No, I–” He pauses and cringes. That _would_ have been an easy way out of this situation. “Um...yes? The loo. Yes.”

Crossing her arms across her chest, Rose glares at him, and James decides to backtrack. “Okay, nevermind. I found the loo ages ago. I was looking for…” He feels his face flush in embarrassment. “Mistletoe.”

The smile that graces Rose’s lovely face in response to his admission is nothing short of predatory, and he can’t help the way his stomach flips in anticipation. 

Rose leans closer. “And why are you looking for mistletoe?” she asks with a sure sort of confidence that is surely the result of an indulgence in more than one of Jackie’s drinks. 

Deciding to throw caution to the wind, James gives her an honest answer. “I was...I was hoping for an excuse to kiss my neighbor.”

“Who says you need mistletoe for that?” Rose asks before grabbing him by the jumper and yanking him down. 

Their lips smack together in a sudden (and somewhat sloppy) collision, and James is only vaguely aware of the whistles and cat-calling in the background as he melts into the embrace and pulls Rose closer, _finally_ discovering what her kissable lips feel like pressed against his. Her lips have been taunting him for weeks, now, and he enthusiastically works his against hers, tasting the lingering sweetness of eggnog and champagne on their surface and–

 _“Oi!”_ The dulcet tones of Jackie Tyler shriek near his ear. _“What’re you doing to my daughter, you–”_

James jumps a clear foot away from Rose, his brain and body having difficulty joining together on the same wavelength in an effort to recover. He stares dumbly between Jackie and Rose, the latter of whom presses her fingers against her lips and looks downright pleased with herself. 

“I–” James starts, his voice squeaking. He clears his throat and opens his mouth, but a familiar American jumps between him and Jackie before he can speak. 

“Jackie, I believe these two lovebirds were simply trying to make up for the lack of mistletoe at your party,” Jack interjects, shooting James and Rose a proud look. “Shall we let them get on with it?”

“Oh, God,” Rose mumbles, hiding her face behind her hands. 

Despite his embarrassment, James manages what he hopes is a smile and steps toward Rose. He picks up Rose’s hand and kisses her knuckles, too much of a coward to kiss her again in front of her mum. 

“Oh, all right, yeah? Just...keep your hands to yourselves and no heavy petting!” Jackie waves her hand between the two of them. And then, as though suddenly losing interest in her daughter, she wanders toward her boyfriend. “Howard, sweetheart, do you have anymore of those satsumas?”


	23. Ribbon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two in a day? Whaaaat? (Trying to catch up....cough cough.....)

“So,” Donna asks, reaching for the sellotape on the counter and applying it to the end of a package. “How’s Rose?”

James lifts his mug of tea to his mouth and takes a long slip, feeling his face flush in response to Donna’s question.

“All right, Spaceman,  _ dish.” _ Donna plunks the sellotape back on the counter and reaches for a spool of ribbon. After cutting off the appropriate length, she levels him with a stern glare before wrapping the package with ribbon. 

“Why do you think there’s anything to dish?” James asks, deftly sending a question back to his cousin without answering hers. She’d invited him over for tea (which had turned into drinking copious cups of tea while watching Donna wrap presents), but he’d known all along it would end with an interrogation. Donna and Jackie could have a bloody competition, and he has no idea who’d win...

“Oh no, none of that. Something happened. Spill.” Donna’s demand leaves no room for negotiation. 

James sighs and reaches for a bright red bow on top of his Donna’s stack of wrapping supplies.  _ “Welllllllllll,” _ he starts, fiddling with the bow. “I went to a Christmas party with Rose at her mum’s on Saturday.”

Donna laughs. “You met her  _ mum?  _ You, James Noble, the Doctor? Met a girl’s  _ mum?  _ Now this I gotta hear about.” 

With an indignant huff, James glowers at Donna. “Oi, and why can’t I meet my  _ neighbor’s _ mum?”

“Oh, come off it. You’ve been talking about Rose for weeks. She’s not  _ just _ your neighbor, anymore. Tell me, Doctor, was there  _ mistletoe _ at this Christmas party?”

“Nope!” James says, popping the ‘p’ and giving Donna a confident grin. 

Donna narrows her eyes at him, and he meets her suspicious gaze head on, resisting the urge to give himself away with one of his tells. Despite answering her question with the truth, he  _ is _ hiding a very big secret, and he holds on as long as he can. In the end, however, Donna’s persistence wins, and he deflates, yanking on his hair in defeat. 

“Something happened!” she crows in delight. “I knew it!”

“Oh, come off it, Donna,” James growls. “There wasn’t any mistletoe. Rose caught me looking, kissed me anyway, and then Jackie caught us and made a big deal about it.” He sounds somewhat bitter even though he has only fond memories of their kiss. 

He looks up when Donna doesn’t immediately react, and he finds her staring at him in surprise. “What?” he asks. 

“You really like her, don’t you?”

He tugs on an ear and shrugs. “She’s different and brilliant and...yeah,” he admits. “I do like her.”

Donna smirks in a self-satisfied way. “Did you get her anything for Christmas?”

James blushes. “I have a plan,” he admits, intentionally keeping it vague. 

Donna sighs and reaches for another gift. “If you say so. Don’t blow it, Doctor,” she says in a biting tone that comes off vaguely threatening. “I like this one.”


	24. The Gifting, Part I: Gifts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still not sure if this chapter turned out the way I wanted it to, but alas. I'm done fiddling with it. 
> 
> Enjoy! Thanks for the continued support with all your lovely comments.

Rose nods in approval as she swipes a few finishing touches to the painting she’s been working on the last few weeks. The idea had come to her at the hospital charity event with James, and she’s been working on it in her art corner with great enthusiasm, her fickle artist’s muse returning with a vengeance after a long absence.

She’s not complaining, however. Painting is her favorite method of expressing her mind and ideas, and this particular piece has been pure joy to paint. Her inspiration had been born of a deep understanding of the whimsical adventures of a childhood imagination as well as from James, her neighbor/friend who now represents – perhaps – someone a bit more than  _ just _ a friend. 

Chewing on the end of the paintbrush, Rose shoves her hair away from her face and surveys her work. It’s one of her best pieces, in her opinion, and she desperately hopes that James, the intended recipient, will like the non-traditional portrait. 

They haven’t discussed buying gifts for each other, this  _ thing _ between them so new and tentative that Rose often wonders if the (more than slightly embarrassing but still fantastic) kiss at her mum’s party had been a vague daydream. Regardless of whether or not James reciprocates the feelings she knows she has for him, she excitedly awaits the moment he unveils his gift. 


	25. The Gifting, Part II: Unwrap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still working on the next bit to the gifting, but I, like Rose, am hugely impatient and decided to gift this to you all today. ;)

“I have something for you,” Rose says, unable to wait a moment longer as she bounces up and down in her chair with excitement.

James looks up from his last bite of pudding and cocks his head to the side. “Oh?” he asks. “A gift?”

“Yeah...I…” She flushes and meets his gaze. “I made it myself, and I’ve been dying to give it to you. I can’t wait any longer.”

Putting down his spoon, James raises an eyebrow and smirks. “All right, then, where’s this gift?”

Rose can’t help the wide smile that crosses her face. There’s just something about gift giving that makes her giddy. “It’s under the tree. Where else would it be?” 

“Oh, right,” James says, scratching the back of his head. “The tree.”

Rose jumps up and grabs his hand, pulling him the short distance to the tree. She tugs him down to the floor with her and reaches for the large square box wrapped in blue paper covered in planets wearing Santa hats. A huge bow sits on top of the box. 

Rose pushes the box in his direction. “Happy Christmas, Doctor.”

James blinks. “Rose…this is too much, I–”

“Just open it, James,” Rose demands, refusing to let his hesitation dampen her spirits. A soft smile spreads across his face as he takes in the wrapping paper, and her heart clenches in affection at the sight. 

Holding the box in his hands, James hesitates a moment longer, before pulling the bow off. He leans toward Rose and presses it to the top of her head with a crooked grin. “There. Now I have another Christmas present to unwrap.” 

Before Rose can process his words, he tears into the wrapping paper with the same restraint of a child. A plain box is revealed underneath the paper, and he pulls open the lid without missing a beat. James pulls out the painting and unwraps the protective covering around it. 

Rose holds her breath as James pulls off the final layer and reveals the painting. A deep intake of breath is his only reaction as he holds the frame with both hands and stares at her gift. 

“Do you...d’ you like it?” Rose asks in a small voice, when too many seconds pass without a word from James. 

As though pulled from a deep thought, James finally looks up and meets her gaze. She’s shocked to see a tear winding a slow path down one of his cheeks. 

“Rose,” he starts, his voice rough with emotion. “This is...you have no idea how much this means to me. It’s exquisite. It’s brilliant. _You’re_ brilliant.” He pauses, clearly struggling to control his emotions. “Thank you.”

Rose blushes at the intensity of his words and moves to kneel behind him to look at her painting. She’d painted his childhood fantasy, the TARDIS, flying through a colorful vortex of time and space. Based off his woodworking design and the few details she’d managed to coax out of a disgruntled Donna at the charity event, Rose had been meticulous in her details to create the spaceship. 

James shifts to lean the painting carefully against her coffee table and turns to Rose with an expression of intense...something. Her eyes widen when he leans forward to kiss her softly on the lips. Butterflies flit to and fro in her belly as a warm heat spreads from her toes and up her body. 

“It’s the best gift I’ve ever received,” he says softly against her lips before moving in for another kiss.


	26. The Gifting, Part III: Rooftop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know these are shorter chapters, but each one kind of ends in a natural place, and the next word works better for the next chapter. I really want to get this fic finished and posted in 2019, so I hope you don't mind the multiple posts a day for the next few days. (If I can get my shit together and get it done, lol.)
> 
> Also, kudos to Gingergallifreyan for literally taking the words out of my mouth and predicting the dialogue in this chapter.

After Rose rather enthusiastically accepts his thank you kiss (much to his utter delight), they spend several minutes wrapped up in each other before he admits he also has a gift to give. With directions for her to dress warmly and meet him in the hall in five minutes, he dashes from her flat with the painting tucked carefully under one arm. 

Having prepped his gift on the rooftop earlier in the day, he has little need to linger in his flat. He places the painting on his table and pulls on his favorite long, brown coat. Throwing the door to his flat closed behind him, James knocks on Rose’s door a few minutes short of their scheduled meeting time and stands with his hands stuffed in his pockets, rocking back and forth on his feet in anticipation. 

Suddenly, the door to Rose’s flat flies open, and she’s there, beaming at him in a black jacket with a faux fur hood. He can’t help but smile back in return. Holding out his hand and wiggling his fingers, his heart almost explodes when she follows his cues and laces her fingers with his. 

James takes a large step down the hall, but he’s pulled back by Rose, who hasn’t moved. She tugs him back, grasps the lapels of his coat, and pulls him down. Before he knows it, he’s pressed up against the wall next to her flat, moaning as Rose snogs him senseless with reckless abandon. 

“Is this…” he says, breathless, “a thing we’re doing now?”

Rose runs her fingers down his tie and gives it a light tug that makes certain parts of him twitch in excitement. “I bloody well hope so,” she says with a smirk. 


	27. The Gifting, Part IV: Star

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had Murray Gold's 'Song for Ten' stuck in my head this whole chapter. 
> 
> _I wish today was just like every other day  
>  'Cause today has been the best day  
> Everything I ever dreamed_
> 
> _And I started to walk  
>  Pretty soon I will run  
> And I'll come running back to you_
> 
> _'Cause I followed my star  
>  And that's what you are  
> I've had a merry time with you_
> 
> _I wish today was just like every other day  
>  'Cause today has been the best day  
> Everything I ever dreamed_

Rose can’t keep the love-struck smile off her face as James guides her up the stairs, hand-in-hand, to where she assumes will be the rooftop. When she sneaks a look at him, her heart flutters happily when she discovers he’s got a matching grin on his face. 

_So this is what it’s like,_ she thinks to herself. A few disastrous relationships and years of watching cliche fairytale endings on the telly had always jaded her somewhat to the idea of her own happily ever after. (Not that James is her happily ever after, mind...but _oh…_ That cheeky smile of his makes her heart race like no one else’s has before…)

James lets go over her hand to push open the door to the rooftop, and Rose follows his lead outside...and gasps. He’s decorated the immediate area in hundreds of white fairy lights. They twinkle over the random pieces of garden furniture, around the rooftop machinery, and gently culminate around a telescope standing near the edge of the railing. 

“Oh,” Rose says, raising her hand to her mouth in surprise. “It’s gorgeous…” She looks at James and wrinkles her brow in confusion. “This is all for me?”

James rocks back on his heels. _“Wellll…_ Yes, but your actual gift is over there,” he says, nodding at the telescope. “This is just...extra.”

Grabbing his hand, Rose pulls him toward the telescope and finds a large envelope leaning against the bottom of it. She bends down to pick it up and opens it without a moment’s hesitation. Despite the darkness, she can see quite well with the many fairy lights, and upon pulling out a stack of papers, she peers at the top item. 

“You…” Rose pauses and looks at James. “You named a star after me.” 

He nods and runs a hand through his chaotic locks. 

“You named a _star_ after me,” Rose repeats, staring at the naming certificate. 

James’s nervous smile turns into a worried frown.

Eager to assuage his doubts, Rose jumps toward him and squeezes him around the middle. “Stop, I love it. ‘S just…” She looks up at him with a sly grin. “You’re setting the bar pretty high as far as gifts go. You did this before our first kiss! Look at the date!”

 _“Oi,_ you’re one to talk!” James retorts. “I don’t believe _you_ painted my TARDIS in one day.”

Rose laughs. “Fair point.” She pulls away to look at the rest of the paperwork. Included with the certificate are various star charts, detailing both the star’s location in the galaxy and the details of the constellation it belongs to. “So...can I see the star with your telescope?”

“Oh yes!” James jumps into action and carefully takes the paperwork from Rose, placing it on a nearby chair. He explains how to position herself in front of the telescope and once she moves into place, he gives simple instructions on how to focus the machine. “I found your star a few nights ago, and you should be able to see it right away. It’s a bit harder in the city with all the light pollution, but this telescope is far superior to an entry-level telescope.” 

Rose giggles at the way he preens over his telescope, like it’s a bloody Ferrari or something.

“What?” James asks, looking confused.

Rose shakes her head in amusement and leans forward to peer through the viewfinder, pulling back only when the rooftop darkens

James grins. “I’ll turn the lights back on in a minute. They’re distracting when you’re looking through the telescope.”

Rose turns back to the telescope, jumping slightly when James walks up behind her and guides her fingers through the correct movements to focus the machine. She shivers slightly as his chest presses into her back. 

“Now,” he says, his voice low and gravelly in her ear. “Turn the knob on the right two clicks that way,” he gestures with his fingers, “and turn the top lever counter-clockwise just... _there.”_

“I see it!” Rose peers into the telescope and looks at her namesake in awe.


	28. Earmuffs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy these two being gross.
> 
> (Also, I used the damn song. Only the happy bits. Not the bits that make me want to curl up in a corner and sob for 20 billion years.)

James looks fondly at Rose as she dons a pair of fluffy, hot pink earmuffs. 

She catches his gaze and raises an eyebrow. “What? It’s cold.”

“I didn’t say anything,” he says, grabbing her hand as they walk down the street toward their favorite all night cafe for hot chocolate. They’ve just come down from the roof, and he can’t quite get rid of the smile that lingers on his lips after watching Rose light up with excitement while looking through his telescope. 

“Right,” Rose grins, her tongue sticking out a bit at the corner of her mouth. 

James has the sudden realization that if he wants to chase that tantalizing bit of tongue, she probably won’t say no. He pulls them to a stop in the middle of the sidewalk and crashes his mouth to hers. Rose gasps in surprise but quickly catches up, meeting his intense passion with equal enthusiasm. 

Rowdy cat-calling on the opposite side of the street brings James back to himself, and he pulls away from Rose with a high-pitched (but still very manly) giggle. 

“You’re happy,” she says, still clutching the lapels of his coat and gazing at him with dark eyes. 

“‘Cause I followed my star,” he croons, “And that’s what you are…”

Rose laughs. “You’re a nutter,” she says, pulling on his hand and breaking into a skipping run. “Come on, it’s bloody cold, an’  _ someone _ promised hot chocolate.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still have no idea how I'm going to wrap up this fic. 😂 Stay tuned.


	29. Joy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to a "training day" afternoon at work, I was able to get a lot of very important training (a.k.a. writing) done. I'm almost done with the last chapter!

After dinner with her mum on Christmas Eve, Rose manages to evade Jackie’s attempts to talk her into staying the night in her old room. It’s not that she doesn’t want to spend time with her mum, but it’s her first year in her new flat, and...a certain neighbor down the hall had suggested watching Christmas movies together later that evening. 

Who is she to refuse such an offer? 

Jackie had seen straight through her shallow attempts to make up some other excuse.  _ “Oh, I see where I rank on your list of priorities. Go on, then. Tell James hello from me when you ‘go to bed early.’” _

Rose unlocks the door to her flat and rushes inside, throwing her purse on the table, patting Crookshanks on the head, and dashing to her room to change into pink flannel pyjamas decorated in snowflakes and her favorite unicorn slippers. After quickly braiding her hair into two plaits, she scrubs her face clean of all makeup and fills a water bottle. 

Grabbing a few of her favorite holiday movies and the bottle of water, Rose calls Crookshanks to the door and makes her way across the hall to James’s door. She knocks, simultaneously keeping an eye on her cat, and when James answers, she turns to him with breathless anticipation. 

“Hello,” he says, a soft smile on his face.

“Hello,” she echoes, momentarily lost in his gorgeous brown eyes. 

His eyes rake over her pyjama clad body, and she notices that he’s still wearing his ever present pinstriped suit. “You’re not dressed for Christmas movies,” she declares, crossing her arms across her chest. 

James scratches behind an ear. “There’s a uniform requirement for Christmas movies?”

Rose scoffs. “‘Course there is.” She gestures down her body at her very cozy ensemble and eyes his well-worn suit with skepticism. “That’s not quality clothing for a cuddle.”

Eyes brightening, James seems to finally understand the reason behind her disgruntlement. “Oh, you never said anything about a cuddle! I love a good cuddle.”

“I’m sure you do,” Rose says with a smirk. “And you  _ definitely _ don’t want to miss out on a cuddle with me. I’m the best.” 

James’s gaze turns downright sinful as his eyes darken and he takes a step closer, just barely close enough to brush against the edge of her pyjamas (and send her heart racing). “Well, in that case,” he begins, his voice low and seductive, “I suppose I need to suit up.”

With that, he spins away from Rose and sprints through his flat to what she assumes is his bedroom. Rose shakes her head in amusement and snaps her fingers at Crookshanks, who’s licking his tail in the hallway. He stares at her in baleful indignation for a moment before standing, sticking his tail in the air, and strutting inside the flat without a backward glance at her. 

“Silly cat,” she mutters, rolling her eyes at her cat’s ever present attitude. 

Closing the door behind her, Rose wanders into James’s flat and looks around with unguarded curiosity, eager to see his personality throughout the space. Instead, she’s instantly distracted by her painting of his TARDIS, hanging in the center of his wall between kitchen area and living room. It’s the most prominent spot in the open room, and she’s filled with joy that he clearly loves her painting enough to display it for everyone to see. 

James hurries out of his room, appropriately outfitted in pinstriped flannel pants that match his suit and a light blue t-shirt that looks invitingly soft. 

“They match your suit,” she notes with amusement, grinning at his pyjama pants. 

“Yes, well, it’s a good look. Why change something that works?” He sniffs.

Poking her tongue out of her mouth, noting how James’s focus zeroes in on the movement, she says, “Never said it wasn’t a good look.” 


	30. Celebrate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost to the end!

Later that evening, as they curl up together on the couch and a forgotten Christmas movie plays quietly in the background, James kisses Rose on the forehead. She sighs and snuggles deeper into his chest. 

“This shirt is quality cuddle material,” she murmurs.

James grins into her hair. “I’ll stock up. Never know when Rose might need a cuddle.” She giggles, and his heart warms at the sound. 

Swallowing nervously, James takes a deep breath. “Rose, would you like to celebrate Christmas at my family’s house tomorrow? I know it’s a bit last minute, so don’t feel like you have to go. Donna’ll be there. Gramps too. My aunt can be a bit much, but–” Rose halts his nervous babbling with a finger on his lips. 

“I’d love to go,” she says, looking up at him with a sleepy smile. “So...does this make us official? You and me?”

James takes a deep breath, unexpectedly taken aback by her question. He’d never been one to eagerly embrace society’s construct of traditional relationships, much to the disappointment of many women (and a handful of men) who’d flocked after him his whole life. Many hours and days spent with his lovely neighbor, however, had melted away a lifetime of disinterest and hesitation. Nothing has ever felt quite so right as how he feels now with Rose curled into his side. 

Meeting her gaze, James smiles back. “Oh, Rose Tyler… I do believe it does.”


	31. Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY NEW YEAR! I'd like to say thank you to every single person who followed along through this story. I'm absolutely amazed that I was able to finish it this month - it was an incredible challenge, and now I'm ready for a break. 😛
> 
> Enjoy our love birds being, as Gingergallifreyan said, "SHMOOPY."

_ ~~New Year’s Eve, one year later~~ _

Rose melts into James as he sneaks up behind her and wraps his arms around her middle as they stare out over the London skyline to watch the fireworks exploding in a cacophony of light and sound. Just over a year since she’d first met James, her life with him – the Doctor, as she now officially calls him – has never been better, and she looks forward to another year of adventures with the love of her life. 

Their friends party all around them, as their rooftop provides not only a perfect set up for a party but also fantastic views of New Year's celebrations around the city.

“Rose Tyler,” the Doctor whispers in her ear, the low, gravelly rumbling of his voice sending a spark of want through her body. “Will you marry me?”

Rose blinks, stiffens in the Doctor’s arms for half a second, then spins around to face him. “Ask me again,” she demands, gazing intently into his eyes. 

He looks so startled by her abrupt reaction that his jaw falls open in surprise. Rose trails her hands down his arms until she finds his hands and links her fingers with his. “Ask me again,” she repeats, staring into the dark brown eyes that never fail to make her heart stutter. “Rose Tyler,” the Doctor says, “Will you marry me?”

Rose smiles so widely she thinks her face might split in two. “Yes!” she shouts, jumping into the Doctor’s arms and kissing him hard on the mouth. “Yes! Yes, yes yes!” 

After several minutes of celebratory snogging, Rose realizes there’s a strange sort of silence across the rooftop that wasn’t there before the Doctor’s unexpected proposal. She pulls away from his warmth and looks around. A crowd of their closest friends surround them: Jack and new beau, Ianto, Mickey and Martha, and Donna and her boyfriend Lee.

“Did you just...?” Jack asks the Doctor, eyes wide with shock.

“Yep!” he answers, his voice undeniably smug. 

Rose laughs and wraps an arm around his middle. 

Donna pushes to the front of the group. “Well?” she demands, holding out a hand and gesturing at Rose. “Let me see it!” 

Rose furrows her brows. “See what?”

“The  _ ring, _ sweetheart. Let us see the ring!” Donna looks between Rose and the Doctor and puts her hands on her hips.

“Er,” the Doctor says with a sheepish grimace, running a hand through his hair. “I hadn’t got to that part yet.”

Donna stares at him, nonplussed. Mickey laughs. Somewhere in the background Martha hisses, “I  _ told _ you guys to leave them alone.”

“But since you so kindly interrupted our rather  _ brilliant _ snog,” the Doctor continues after an awkward moment, “I’ll finish what I started. Rose?” 

Rose focuses her attention on the Doctor and gasps when he pulls a small box out of his coat pocket. He opens it carefully and plucks a ring out of the center. To be helpful, she lifts her hand up, giving him a tongue-touched smile as she does, and he slides the ring on her finger, kissing her fingers once it’s secure. 

It’s  _ stunning, _ more beautiful than anything she would have ever imagined ending up on her hand. Despite the terrible lighting, she studies the white gold band and admires a dark stone surrounded on each side by three diamonds in a triangle. She doesn’t bother herself with learning the specific details, knowing she’ll have plenty of time later to stare at the ring as long as she wants.

“Doctor,” she breaths, unable to look away, “it’s beautiful.”

But when she looks up, it’s not the ring the Doctor’s staring at. It’s her. Overwhelmed with love and happiness, Rose wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him down for a kiss. 

Their friends cheer them on, whooping and whistling in delight, but Rose loses herself in the kiss, savoring the moment and the feel of the Doctor’s lips moving against hers. 

It’s gonna be a  _ really _ great year.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me at goingtothetardis.tumblr.com!


End file.
